Weed spraying device



April 10, 1951 L. s. FOSTER WEED SPRAYING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 9, 1948 Les/er S. F osfer IN V EN TOR.

April 10, 1951 L. s. FOSTER 2,548,209

WEED SPRAYING DEVICE I Filed Aug 9, 1948 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lesler 5.Fos/er INVENTOR.

latented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED sTATss t-ATENT OFFICE WEED SPRAYING DEVICELester S. Foster, Raymond, Ill.

Application August 9, 1948, Serial No. 43,186

3 Claims. (01. 287 -96) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements and structural refinements in devices for spraying weeds,more particularly, devices of this character such as are intended forattachment to tractors, or the like, and the principal object of theinvention is to enable such devices or attachments to be folded orcollapsed in order to facilitate their passage through narrow gates, orthe like, and also to enable such devices to collapse or fold themselvesupon coming in contact with some obstruction which would otherwise causetheir breakage.

Weed spraying devices usually assume the form of tubular conduitsattached to and extending laterally for considerable distances from atractor,or the like, and the invention, therefore, contemplates theprovision of a novel hinge structure for connecting the laterallyextending conduit sections to the central section, whereby the lateralsections may be folded or collapsed, both in a horizontal and in avertical plane, as required by the working conditions.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of meansfor normally maintaining the lateral and center sections of the conduitin a longitudinally aligned. relation, to which relative position thesections automatically return themselves after an obstruction has beencleared, or the like.

An important advantage of the invenition resides inits simplicity ofconstruction, ease and convenience of manipulation, and in itsadaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in its laterallyextended position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hinge structure used inthe invention, the same being shown laterally extended;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view of thesubject shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the subject shown in Figures2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional View, taken substantially inthe plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 2; and,

I Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the lateralconduit sections used in the V invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring noW to the accompanying drawings in detail, the inventionconsists of a weed spraying device designated generally by the referencecharacter I0,- such as is intended for mounting preferably on the frontend portion of a tractor, or the like (notshown).

The front end of the tractor is provided for the purpose of carrying theweed spraying device with a suitable frame indicated at' I 2 in Figure1, and the spraying device itself embodies in its construction a centerconduit section l4 anda pair of lateral conduit sections Hi, all ofwhich are equipped with suitable delivery hoses l8 and with a pluralityof spraying nozzles 20, in accordance with conventional practice.

The essence of novelty in the invention resides in the attachment of thelateral sections l6 to the center section Hi, this attachment beingeffected by the provision of a hinge structure designated generallybythe reference character 22. Inasmuch as the hinge structures employedfor attaching the two lateral sections [6 to the center section M aresimilar in construction, a description of one will sufiice for both.

Each of the hinge units 22 embodies in its construction an intermediateplate 24, an inner plate 26 and an outer plate 28, as is best shown inFigure 5, the inner-and outer plates bein hinged to the intermediateplate at the opposite sides and opposite ends of the latter, asindicated at 36, 32, respectively.

For purposes of reinforcement, the intermediate plate 24 may be providedat the upperand lower edges thereof with flanges or webs 3:2,

these flanges or webs covering the upper and lower edges of the innerand outer plates 26, 28 when the plates 24, 26, 28 are drawn together,as is best shown in Figures 3 and 5.

' The inner plate 26 is secured by welding, or the like, to an end ofthe center conduit section 14, while a pair of spaced parallel brackets3'6 are welded to the outer plate 28 and are provided with atransversely extending, horizontally disposed pivot pin 38.

The brackets 36 straddle, so to speak, an inner end portion of thelateral conduit section l6, and the aforementioned pin 38 extendsthrough a bore 40 of a mounting block 42 which is welded, or otherwisesecured, to the section 16, as is best shown in Figure 6. A stop block44 is secured between the brackets 36 and the conduit section I6 issupportably engageable by the block 44 in a substantially horizontalposition and in horizontal alignment with the center section 14, thelatter being attached as at 46 to the frame 12 on the tractor and thesection l4 being, of course, horizontally disposed.

A set of reinforcing struts are provided on the center conduit sectionI4, namely, the upright struts 48, upwardly divergent struts 50 andupwardly convergent struts 52, the outer ends of the struts 50 beingprovided with flexible elements such as chains 54 connected by tensionspring 56 to the outer end portions of the lateral conduit sections l6,whereby the latter are prevented from dropping too abruptly against thestop 44 after being lowered from their elevated positions as indicatedat 58 in Figure 3. It

should, of course, be understood that the outer sections 16 may beraised in a vertical plane as indicated at 60 in Figure 3 to a positionshown in the phantom lines 58,'such raising being necessitated, forexample, in order to clear obstructions when passing through narrowgates, or the like.

It will be also apparent that the outer sections I6 are swingable in ahorizontal plane, both forwardly and rearwardly, as indicated at 62, 64,respectively, in Figure 4, this, of course, being facilitated by therespective hinged connections 30, 32 provided between the plates 24, 26,28.

The brackets 36 areprovided with U-shaped l shackles 66, and suitabletension springs 68 extend between the shackles and the aforementionstruts 52, being anchored to'the latter as indicated at III. Thesesprings are so arranged that they normally draw the plates 24, 26, 28together and these plates, having substantial areas in contact with oneanother, efiectively function to retain the lateral sections it iniongitudinal alignment with the center sections 14,

that is to say, the springs 63 normally urge the sections 16 to theirlaterally projected positions as shown. in Figure 1, and movement of thesec- 4 able hooks 12 provided on the frame it for the purpose ofsupporting the sections [6 in a forwardly and upwardly swung positionwhile the device is being transported from one side of operation toanother. i

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and, accordingly,further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a weed spraying device, a rigidly mounted and horizontallydisposed center section, a lateral section disposed at an end of saidcenter section, and hinge means connecting said sections together, saidmeans including an intermediate plate, an inner plate and an outer platehinged at opposite sides and opposite ends to said intermediate plate,said inner plate being secured to said center section, spaced bracketssecured to said outer plate, and a horizontal hinge pin extendingthrough said brackets and through said lateral section, whereby saidlateral section may be swung in a vertical plane.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a stop providedbetween said brackets, said lateral section being engageable with saidstop for support in a substantially horizontal plane.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together with resilient means forurging said plates together.

invention, what is LESTER S. FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 79,950 Carkeet July 1a, 18682,205,484 Lindsay June 25, 1940 2,221,433 Pitner Nov. 12, 1940 2,273,344Black et a1. Feb. 17, 1942 2,277,176 Wagner Mar. 24, 1942

